


Overheard Exchanges

by LReality



Category: Naruto
Genre: GaaLee, LeeGaa, M/M, Multiple Pairings, gay af, i love gaalee so much what is wrong with me, slow burn probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-07-17 17:06:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16100018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LReality/pseuds/LReality
Summary: While training at 5:00 A.M, Rock Lee manages to end up crippling a messenger eagle after an unfortunate mishap. After Sakura gladly agrees to heal the suffering animal, he notices the scroll still in his grasp. Reading the message, he realizes what he needs to do. Save Suna... and Gaara! (Gaalee)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> OOF ok so this is probably gonna be my biggest project yet; even though the prologue is only like 1000 words, I'm aiming for a lot more than that overall. Hopefully people still ship gaalee lmao. Please comment if you can!

~Prologue~

 

It was currently 5:00 A.M. Moonlight shined in the pit of darkness that was the sky. A tranquil feeling enveloped Konoha; not a soul was awake. 

 

Except one.

 

“If I can’t do 500 leg kicks, I’ll walk 300 laps around Konoha on my hands!”

 

Rock Lee never relented when it came to his training. After all, if he hadn’t had the determination, where would he be now? Only  _ dreaming _ of being a wonderful shinobi? He stood in the middle of a mostly cleared out forest, kicking at what was left of the defeated stump. It was the same area that he had regularly visited when he was younger. Looking back at the rugged stone where he and Gai sensei had talked before, waves of nostalgia flooded his system. He hadn’t been back here in quite a while. 

 

_ It has been nice coming back here… but it is too boring!  _ He let his leg go limp and planted it firm on the ground, holding his hands up to his chin to think.  _ I know! I will go to the gates! Maybe something exciting will happen!  _ Without a moment's hesitation, he bolted towards the gates at a speed that would make a jet plane jealous. The sleeping animals twitched and jumped in their sleep as they felt the green blur dart by, leaving a hurricane of wind behind. The only disadvantage of such speed?

 

He was in a forest.

 

In only a few seconds, he clumsily lost his footing and slammed face first into a trunk. He lay there, dazed, before quickly realizing that he had hit the tree so hard, the resulting force caused the branches to leap backwards and snag a messenger eagle. Lee heard the cries and screeches of the bird before quickly jumping to his feet. “I am so sorry! Please stay right where you are, and I will save you!” He lee-ped (get it?) to the top of the tree and noticed the bird had a scroll strapped to the back of it. However, it did not seem like it would be flying anytime soon. Its wings were badly bruised and its beak crooked. 

 

Lee immediately took action.  _ I should tell Sakura-chan about this… she will know what to do!  _ In spite of his eagerness to help the battered creature, there was only one problem; he had no idea where she lived.  _ Hopefully Naruto will know, he is on her team after all!  _ He bolted once again to Naruto’s home, eagle held safely in his arms. The bird leaned its head into the crook of Lee’s arm and he suddenly became ten times more aware of how fast he was going. Slowing down, he spotted Naruto’s apartment.  _ The lights are off, he is probably sleeping. I hope this does not bother him too much. _

 

He knocked twice on the door and waited.

  
  
No response.

 

He knocked twice again, putting more strength in his fist.

 

No response.

 

Lee rarely got impatient, but this was no time to be fooling around. He tried the handle, and unsurprisingly, it opened. Walking into Naruto’s bedroom, he spotted the blonde hidden under the covers and snoring loudly. “Naruto! Please wake up!” Lee strode up to the snoozing Jinchuuriki and shook him. Hard. Naruto shot up, rubbing his eyes and blinking. 

 

“Sasuke? Is that you? You finally came back! You asshole, I was-”

 

“Naruto! It is me!”

 

“Bushy brows?” He perked up his head drowsily, examining the taijutsu specialist’s face to ensure that, in fact, it was his friend. “What are you doing here, dattebayo? Wait… how did you get in?”

 

“You left your front door unlocked, Naruto. Be more careful next time! But this is important, do you know where Sakura-chan lives? This eagle is hurt because of me.” He held out the bird and it glared angrily at Naruto. Naruto glared back. 

 

“Well, it seems to like you,” he scoffed. “Sakura lives to the right of me, across the street… just look for it, there should be a nameplate somewhere.” Lee started to sob for no reason. “Bushy brows, what are you…”

 

Lee encompassed Naruto in a deep hug, transferring all the tears and snot on his face to Naruto’s pajamas. “Thank you so much! I will go get Sakura-chan to help this poor eagle now!” Fortunately for him, Naruto was used to his overbearingness. 

 

“Yeah, good luck with that. Night!” He fell back into his pillow and drifted into another deep sleep. Lee spotted Naruto’s keys sitting on the counter, locked his apartment for good measure, and headed towards Sakura’s house.  _ To the right… across the street… there it is!  _ He walked up the steps to her home and knocked multiple times. In a few minutes, an upset looking kunoichi answered the front door. “Hello? Who… Lee?” She gazed in surprise.

 

“Hello! Um, Sakura-chan! I have an injured messenger eagle! Can you please heal him!” He bowed sharply and accidentally hit his head on the concrete floor, nearly suffocating the bird in the process. Sakura giggled softly. She never seemed to get tired of his antics. 

  
  
“Of course, Lee. May I bring him in?” He nodded and slowly handed her the bird. It frantically tried to flap its wings and escape but Sakura managed to calm it down somehow. Maybe she just had a special charm to her. “Do you want to come in?” Sakura offered.

 

“No thank you, I am training very hard! Just please fix him and free him afterwards!” She simultaneously looked at the clock.  _ Lee’s training at 5:00 A.M? No surprise there. _

 

“I’ll be sure to do that, thank you Lee. Good luck with your training!” She smiled gently and a deep shade of red began to cover his face. Thankfully, it was so dark that she couldn’t see a thing.

 

“Goodbye, Sakura-chan!” And with that, he sprinted out towards the gates.  _ Finally, I can go back to my original plan! I shall check the gates out now!  _ But while he was running, he noticed something clenched in his cold hand. 

 

_ The scroll! _

 

He held it in the palm of his hand and looked at it for an extended amount of time. It was not too large, not too small. The kanji shown read the following:

 

*SASORI*

 

_ Who is Sasori? I do not know anyone by that name.  _ An internal battle began to plague the kind hearted Lee.  _ Should I open this letter? Perhaps it may be private, but the bird is not well enough to go. Maybe I shall deliver it?  _ He slowly began to peel open the enclosed paper scroll. Holding it out with both hands, the full message was scribbled messily on the paper. 

 

*SASORI MY MAN. KAZEKAGE. SUNA. SOON. PREPARE.*

 

He looked at the letter in shock.  _ What do they want to do with the Kazekage?  _ He noticed a small mark in the bottom left corner. It was an Akatsuki cloud, the dangerous organization Gai-sensei had warned him about.  _ If… if it is soon, then I must go! Suna and the kazeka- no, Gaara, are in danger! _

 

And with that, he rushed towards the gates and leaped out, not caring about whether he would be labeled a rogue ninja or not. Throughout the three day journey, one thought never seemed to leave his mind.

 

_ Gaara, please be ok! _

  
  
**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Warn The Kazekage! Wait... Where's Lee?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lee visits Gaara, and Team Gai goes crazy in Konoha. Yup.

Rows of trees flew by as Lee hopped from branch to branch, nearly passing out from exhaustion multiple times. He wouldn’t let himself rest even for a second. There was no time for rest right now. Gaara’s life may be in danger! The sun began to set, marking the near end of his trip.  _ Gai-sensei said that it would only take him 3 days at most! If I have not rested at all, then I should be there soon!  _

  


He was right. As soon as the thought passed his mind, Lee saw something in the distance. 

  


_ Sand! _

  


He sighed a breath of relief, and continued on his journey, more motivated than before. He hoped with all of his heart that everyone was fine, and the Akatsuki hadn’t attacked yet.  _ Maybe I should have waited for my friends… but…  _ He shook the thought from his mind.  _ What if they have already attacked? _

  


… 

  


_ Please wait for me, Gaara! _

  


\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


Temari bursted into Gaara’s office, not even bothering to knock or give even the slightest warning. Gaara, tending to his succulents, did not bat an eye. “Gaara, you have a visitor.” 

  


“Who is it?” She smirked.

  


“It’s Lee. You two having an affair or something?” Gaara stared blankly at her, stunned at how stupid her older sister could be. Why would he be having an affair with a man he almost killed? 

  


“No. I almost killed him. Does that already tell you enough?” He stated matter-of-factly. 

  


Temari scoffed. “Didn’t Naruto almost kill Sasuke during their fight? Shikamaru has been telling me all about how much Naruto ‘lusts’ for him every day.” Gaara remembered him; he had been the guy to always say annoying phrases such as  _ what a drag,  _ and  _ such a pain _ . He had also fought with his older sister during the Chunin exams. 

  


“Temari, enough. Just bring him in.” She crossed her arms headed towards the door, but not without one last comment.

  
  
“Trying to change the subject? Nice try, gayball. But whatever. I’ll go get your boyfriend.” After she left, the Kazekage began to tend to his plants again. Temari always teased him for being gay; it wasn’t anything new. Although, he did not feel any sort of attraction towards Lee. Such attraction would only pull him down. He had to tend to his plants, as he did to his village. Unfortunately for him, his life was about to take a drastic turn all in the span of a minute.

  


It all started when a sweaty, exhausted shinobi broke Gaara’s office door down.

  


“GAARA! SUNA! AKATSUKI!” Words seemed to erupt from Lee’s mouth as he waved his arms around frantically trying to construct a single coherent sentence. Gaara could barely decipher any of what he was saying. Temari followed from behind, putting her hand to her forehead and sighing. 

  


“Sorry, Gaara. Kankuro was on lookout and apparently spotted him from a mile away, sprinting so fast it quote-on-quote ‘looked like he was flying.’” Gaara gestured at her, showing that it was fine. 

  


“Lee, calm down. Do you need to rest?” He walked up to Lee and put a hand on his shoulder. “Rest. And then tell me what’s wrong. I am sure you did not come here just for a vacation, but we can save it until later. I will ask Kankuro to make living accomodations for you.” Lee finally got a second to catch his breath, and straightened his posture.

  


“Thank you, but it does not matter! This… this is very important!” 

  


“I’m sure it is. Bu-”

  


“The Akatsuki are going to attack Suna! I do not know how many of them will come, I only know that two will come, and one is named Sasori! We need to prepare!” He handed Gaara the scroll that he had held tightly for many hours. Unraveling the scroll, Gaara’s eyes widened. From then on, the atmosphere in Suna completely changed for that night.

  


“Thank you, Lee. This is very valuable information. I will ready everything I can for their arrival right now. Is there anything else?” Lee stood in a soldier-like pose, as if he were ready to fight the next person to walk into the room.

  


“Yes! May I help you with that? I have learned much from my sensei, and would like to put it to practical use!” Gaara and Temari exchanged glances. Could he really be trusted with such a task? 

  


…

  


“Yes, I would very much appreciate it.” Lee jumped up and down gleefully, as if he were a five year old child receiving a new toy. 

  
  
“Thank you, Ga- er, Mr. Kazekage! I will not let you down!” 

  


Gaara smiled faintly, and responded to Lee’s upbeat statement. “Just call me Gaara.”

  


Unbeknownst to Gaara, Lee hid a faint blush in the collar of his jacket as he swiveled around and got to work. 

  


\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


_ -2 days earlier, in Konoha- _

  


The messenger eagle flapped its wings around frantically on the table, not allowing Sakura to get near her as she once had done before. “Ugh! can’t you see I’m trying to help you?” She eventually got so frustrated with its behavior, she just decided to wait it out. After a few minutes of deafening screeches, the eagle finally calmed. In that opportune moment, Sakura quickly got to work before it went crazy again. She stuck both of her palms out and began focusing chakra into them. Slowly but surely, the eagle began to recover. After a few moments, it was fully recovered, as it was before.

  


When she stepped even closer towards the bird, it didn’t flinch.  _ Finally, you get it, don’t you?  _ She smiled as it flew onto her shoulder and delicately gripped its talons into her shirt. Opening the door, she walked out felt the cool wind brush past her ears. She pointed her arm forwards and it seemed as if the bird got the (second) message. It was the perfect time to fly free back into the night.

  


And fly free it did.

  


Even though she didn’t expect Lee to wait for her, she reflexively swiveled her head left and right, searching the general area for him.  _ Where could he have gone? Ugh, Lee. Training at 5 A.M and nearly crippling a poor bird.  _ She decided to go back to bed; even if she had gone after him, what would make him stop? This had become everyday life for him. 

  


When Sakura lay back onto her bed, she thought about all the hardships Lee had faced in his life. Having parents that were never there for him, being unable to perform even the simplest of ninjutsus/genjutsus, and being called ‘ugly’ and ‘loser’ his entire life. And yet, he had turned everything around. He was now one of Konoha’s best, a wonderful friend and ally that anyone could rely on. 

  


Sakura fell asleep with a soft smile on her face.

  


But the peace didn’t last long.

  


\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  
“What? Lee is gone?” Neji stared at Gai in disbelief. Lee would never miss an early morning training session with his team, that was his forte. He’d always put it on the top of his list of priorities.

  


“For some reason he’s not here… maybe the curry we ate last night upset his stomach.” Gai stated with a concerned tone. 

  


“If anything, it upset  _ my  _ stomach.” Tenten held her stomach tightly, trying to lighten the mood. “But it’s weird that Lee is late. Should we go to his house to check on him? 

  


“Yes! Maybe he just overslept! Let us make this part of our early morning routine: SPRINT AS FAST AS YOU CAN!”

  


Tenten and Neji both stared at each other with a grimace on their faces. “Sensei, we don’t know where Lee li-”

  


Without a word, Gai sprinted off at the speed of light, leaving a trail of dust behind him and a quick ‘FOLLOW ME!’ right behind him. Villagers stared as Neji and Tenten hesitantly followed suite. Being part of Team Gai was a pain, true, but also very rewarding. At least they got many chances to build up their stamina and strength, although it came at the cost of being seen as nutcases. 

  


Gai headed up the steps of Lee’s house and knocked eccentrically on the door. “Lee! It is time for early morning training with your comrades!” Neji and Tenten finally caught up, the latter panting deeply and frowning. 

  


A disgruntled looking woman came to the door. “Who are you?”

  


Every member of Team Gai all simultaneously remembered that they had never actually met Lee’s parents before. Lee had only subtly talked about them before. They weren’t good things.

  


_ This is going to be interesting. _

  


“We are Team Gai, Lee’s comrades! Do you know where he is?” Gai’s enthusiasm did not settle well with the woman. She immediately went off on him.

  


“I don’t know and I don’t care. He’s probably off  _ training  _ and not spending time with his family. When I see him again, I’ll be sure to knock some sense into him.” Tenten and Neji hid their reactions well, but inside they were shook. 

  


_ Did she just say that she’d… ‘knock some sense into him?’ _

  


“Excuse me, what do you mean by your last statement?” Gai responded sternly.

  
  
“The hell do you think? I’m going to beat him until he turns purple. Don’t worry, it gets the job done.” 

  


_ Wait… _

  


_ -Flashback- _

  


_ “Lee! What happened to you?” Lee came into his team’s view and everybody immediately noticed the scars and bruises that littered his skin.  _

  


_ “Hello! Do not worry, I am fine! I just trained too hard!” He beamed at all of his teammates. _

  


_ Tenten responded worriedly. “Is… is that a belt mark?” She pointed towards his arm where a long, purple bruise indented on his skin. _

  


_ “Ah, that! I just trained with my nunchucks and accidentally hit myself a few times! It is all ok! Shall we start our youthful morning training?”  _

  


_ “I… I guess.” Tenten said. Neji reluctantly avoided asking Lee about his injuries while Gai immediately replied. _

  


_ “Yes! We will start with 100 laps around Konoha! ON OUR HANDS!” Lee grinned and excitedly started their morning routine. _

  


-End Flashback-

  


Tenten was beyond pissed off. Lee was the most hardworking, youthful person she’d ever met. How  _ dare  _ someone like her threaten to  _ hit  _ him? In a fit of rage, she summoned her weapons before Gai or Neji had time to react. In a flash, she held one of her sharpest kunais up to the woman’s neck.

  


“What the  _ fuck _ did you just say? You fucking BIT-” Her words were cut off by Gai putting his hands over her mouth and dragging her backwards, skillfully disarming her in the process. Neji held on to her as Gai tried to communicate civilly with Lee’s mother.

  


“I will warn you once. Do not harm my most youthful student. If I see any more markings on him, I will report you to the Hokage. Am I clear?” The woman scoffed and laughed.

  


“I’ll hide them well. Thanks for coming over!” She rebutalled, and promptly slammed the door shut. Neji tried to calm Tenten down as she kept trying to ram her mace through the door. 

  


“Enough, Tenten! We will do something about this, I promise. Please don’t harm her.” She finally relented, letting her limbs relax and unsummoning her weapons. 

  
  
  
“We need to find Lee.” Neji responded calmly. Gai and Tenten shook their heads up and down. “Sensei, you check the forest. Tenten, you check the marketplace. I’ll check around the gates. We’ll meet back here in an hour.” They all nodded, and each got to work, checking their own areas. 

  


Unfortunately, Lee was nowhere to be found. Each area had been completely deserted, even Lee’s primary training spots. “We need to ask around,  _ someone  _ must know where he is. It isn’t in his nature to just disappear like that.” Neji said. “Let’s go check on Team Yamato, Kurenai, and Asuma. If nobody knows, we’ll go straight to Tsunade-sama.” 

  


Team Kurenai was currently out on an outside mission, so they obviously couldn’t follow them and ask. They found Team Asuma heading towards the hot springs.

  


“Hey!” Tenten, Neji, and Gai caught up to them and started berating them with questions. “Do you know where Lee is? Have you seen him at all recently?”

  


Ino was the first to respond. “No, I haven’t, sorry. I thought he prioritized training with you guys over everything though?”

  


Shikamaru thought for a while, and pitched in. “If he’s actually gone and you can’t find him anywhere, something major probably popped up somewhere and he’s headed off to help. Maybe Suna. Who knows. Either way, he’s a pain to deal with.”

  


Choji also gave some advice. “He might be eating somewhere. Who wouldn’t want to have BBQ in the morning?” He shoved some more chips into his face and Shikamaru face palmed. 

  


“Well, sorry we can’t help. Hopefully you find him and he’s not counted as a rogue ninja or something. Later.” The three walked off and left Team Gai feeling dejected. Their only hope now was Team Yamato.

  


They eventually found Team Yamato pigging out at Ichiraku Ramen, with the exception of Sakura. She was still at home, getting ready. Naruto was the first to notice them.

  


“Oi! Where’s bushy brows? Isn’t he usually with you at this time of day?” His words were barely decipherable as he was slurping up nearly half of his second bowl.   
  
Tenten sighed and put her hands outwards in a defeated pose. “We searched all over him, we have no idea where he is. He never misses training. Do you know anything about what happened?” Sai overheard the conversation and decided to add his two cents.

  


“That man with the ugly bowl cut? I haven’t seen him. Hope you find him!” Naruto quickly shut him up, jabbing his hand into Sai’s side. 

  
  
“I spoke with him in the morning, what was it… 5 A.M? He injured a bird or something and asked me where Sakura lived. Maybe she knows something.” Gai bowed to the Jinchuuriki, expressing his thanks.

  


“Come on, youths! We have no time to waste, Sakura must know where Lee is!” Fortunately for Gai, Neji and Tenten were as fired up to find Lee as he was now. They all headed towards Sakura’s house, leaving Naruto clueless. 

  


Sakura answered the door for the second time in one day, except this time it wasn’t Lee.  _ Why are Gai-sensei, Tenten, and Neji here?  _ “Sakura! Do you know where Lee is? We’ve been looking for him all day!” Tenten exasperatedly stated.

  


“I might know something…” Sakura thought.

  


… 

  


“Come in.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! This is literally the longest chapter I've ever written and it's only like 7 pages r i p


	3. A Stirring Speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot more Lee and Gaara interaction, I promise there will be more next chapter too! I feel like the last chapter was too heavily focused on Konoha even though this is a Gaalee story lmao. Also, ships will start being established next chapter!

“That Lee…” Tenten shook her head. Team Gai all sat at the dining table, anxiously awaiting Sakura’s final statement about the disappearance of Lee. So far the only thing they knew was that he had accidentally injured a messenger eagle and come to Sakura to heal it. Even Sakura had no idea where he went after that.

 

“I didn’t try looking for him, which was a mistake. I only scanned the general area before going back to bed.” Sakura directed her attention to the floor, where she stared somberly at it. 

 

“Sakura! Do not worry, my most youthful kunoichi! We will find Lee somehow!” Gai stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, assuring her that she had done no harm. “I thank you for helping out my boy when he was in trouble.” He bowed deeply, just as Lee had when he visited her the night before. “Tenten, Neji, let’s go!” 

 

Tenten and Neji nodded, giving their final thanks to Sakura and leaving the residence. Even though they now knew that Lee was active only a few hours ago, they were still absolutely stumped as to what had happened. “Students! We have no other choice now to go to Tsunade-sama. Whatever happens, I will never let Lee be classified as a rogue ninja.”

 

“Never!”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Suna’s defenses were putting forth their maximum effort to ensure the safety of its people. Traps were being set in every nook and cranny, sand shinobi were positioned all around the city, and the citizens were on lockdown. Lee ran around, talking to and complimenting the soldiers in an attempt to keep the mood light as it could be. If he saw any gaps in security, he’d fix them so Gaara could focus on protecting the citizens.

 

A few hours or so into the process, all the citizens of Suna gathered around the Kazekage’s office. The Kazekage had called for a public announcement to clear up the confusion running amongst the people. The lookouts had not reported any suspicious activities around Suna yet, so the citizens’ safety was secured. Gaara stood atop a sky-high balcony, looking down towards the inhabitants, each one looking like a single ant amongst a horde. He took a deep breath; his speech had to be good- no,  _ great.  _ Not everyone completely trusted him yet, as he still had been an emotionless psychopath for most of his life.

 

_ Hopefully they will listen. _

 

“Citizens of Suna! Dark times are ahead of us. The criminal organization, Akatsuki, is on the loose. Two members, at the least, have been confirmed to be targeting Suna. We, the council, do not know why, or when the attack will occur.” He paused, while the people awaited in anticipation. 

  
  
“But we will protect everyone with our lives! We will do whatever it takes to make sure there is not a single casualty!” He threw his arms outwards, pointing towards several areas where sand shinobi were located. “These shinobi… are willing to sacrifice anything! They are your shining knights in armor! I am no knight, unlike them. I am a murderer, a maniac, but most importantly, Suna’s shield. Please, place your trust in all of us. I repeat: There will not be a _single_ casualty. No matter how great the cost.” 

 

“Three years ago, a single shinobi from the Leaf Village completely changed my views on this world. Instead of living only for myself, I began living for others. I am still repenting for my sins every day, hoping that my victims may forgive me one day. Now, another Leaf shinobi has appeared. Rock Lee, the man I nearly murdered in the Chunin exams, has come to help us! If not for his sense of urgency towards the situation and sleepless nights, Suna would have been in great danger.”

 

“And for that, I thank him.” 

 

Lee broke into tears while listening to Gaara’s speech. Not just playful, comical tears; tears that were filled to the brim with emotion. It was true that Lee felt emotions on a deeper level than others, but almost nothing other than this truly tugged at his heartstrings. It reminded him of the first time he had met Gai-sensei, and how much of an inspiration he was to him. He now felt that same way with Gaara, even though he had almost ended his career as a shinobi. But that was all in the past; it was time to focus on the future now.

 

Sand flew out from Gaara’s gourd, ripping through the air to get to Lee. In a flash, Lee was atop a cloud of sand, floating above all of Suna’s citizens. “Please, do not have prejudice for the leaf. We have nothing to give in return for their selfless actions, yet they put forth their lives. Look at this man before you. He is the savior of Suna.” The crowd cheered, applauding both the Kazekage and the leaf shinobi above. Lee stood, gazing down at all of the people. He did not think he deserved this much recognition. But internally, he still thanked Gaara very much. 

 

“Please, return to your homes and await further instructions. When I see you all again, the sky will be blue with victory.” The crowd dispersed, and Lee was carried over to the balcony. Hopping off, Gaara noticed the dry tears streaked down Lee’s face.

 

“Gaara! I do not know what to say! You are a very great leader!” He hugged Gaara, and although Gaara did not physically return the sentiment, he held a smile on his face. Unfortunately for the two, Kankuro saw that as an opportune moment to burst through the balcony door. Lee quickly retrieved his hands from Gaara’s waist. 

 

But not quickly enough.

  
  
"Finally found a boyfriend, huh little bro? Didn’t think it’d be Lee of all people.”  He smirked. Gaara kept his cool while Lee furiously blushed.

 

“Kankuro! We are not lovers! I was just very happy because of his speech!” Kankuro’s face turned white.

 

“Shit, did I miss the speech? Damnit, I was looking forward to that!” Gaara remembered talking to Kankuro about Naruto before. He had started crying right in front of him. Gaara did not know until then how emotional his big brother could get. “Anyways, Gaara, about those living accommodations… because of the lockdown, literally no hotel or public space is willing to take Lee in, and I don’t really feel like knocking on hundreds of doors just to find a place for him to stay. So here’s my proposition: Either you let him live with you, or he’s on his own.”  

 

Gaara accepted the first proposition without hesitation. “He can stay with me. I don’t mind.” He was actually kind of hoping it would turn out like this. Right now, he wanted no more than to get to know Lee better. Lee also agreed.

 

“Yes! That would be good! I thank you both very much!” Mid bow, Gaara stopped him with his sand.

 

“Lee, you don’t have to bow to us. We are equals.” Gaara crossed his arms and stored the sand back into his gourd. “Come, I’ll show you where you’ll live.” Lee nodded and trotted heartily behind him, overjoyed that Gaara thought of him as an equal. And then the thought finally struck him in the face.

 

_ I’ll be living with the Kazekage…! _

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Tsunade sighed. The amount of paperwork this time of year was absolutely insane. Sometimes, she wished she wasn’t even Hokage. It’d be nice to finally be able to stretch her legs and breathe for once. Shizune stood outside the office, holding Tonton carefully in her hands. She didn’t want to bother Tsunade too much, her stress levels were off the roof. Tonton’s ears suddenly to perked up, alerting Shizune of someone being in the building. Shizune began to hear it too; something coming towards the Hokage’s office. She slowly peered around the corner, where the suspected noise was coming from. 

 

“TENTEN, NEJI, RUN!” Gai bounded cheerfully and noisily down the marbled pathway, before noticing Shizune standing five feet in front of him. In an effort to avoid crashing into her and possibly breaking dozens of bones, he veered to the right and instead created a crater in the wall, planting his head firmly in the middle. 

 

“Gai! What are you doing!” Shizune helped pull the optimistic man out of the hole he had created, while Tenten and Neji slowly caught up to them. 

  
  
  
“May I speak with Tsunade? It’s extremely important!” Shizune sighed and opened the door for them. 

 

“Go ahead, but next time, be careful!” 

 

Gai ran into the room to see a sleep-deprived, stressed out Tsunade furiously filling out paperwork. “Tsunade-sama, Lee has gone missing! We have searched all over Konoha for him and couldn’t find him, but we may have some clues.”

 

She didn’t notice him rambling at first and completely tuned out his statement. But when she did, despite how she looked on the outside, she was grateful to finally be able to take a short break and let her hand relax. That cramp was killing her.

 

“Can you repeat what you said?”

 

“Lee has gone missing!”

 

_ Lee? _

 

“Are you sure? Have you checked everywhere for him?”

 

Gai nodded his head aggressively. “We have searched for hours, and haven’t seen him at all. We asked some of the others, and they offered some advice. Would you like to hear it and decide what further action should be taken? I apologize for my student again!”

 

Tsunade put her hand forward, waving it briefly. “Don’t apologize, these things happen. What have you heard from the others?”

 

Then Gai went on about what Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru had said. Tsunade listened in keenly, forming a plan to find Lee in her mind. She especially paid attention when Shikamaru’s points were brought up. Leaving the village with no explanation seemed to be a very “Lee” thing to do. Especially if another place was in danger, such as Suna.

 

When they were finally finished explaining, Tsunade set forth her plan. “I believe that Shikamaru would be correct, at least for the most part. It could be somewhere such as Suna, or even a small village somewhere. If he had read the message strapped to the eagle, it might have pointed him towards an area in danger.” She looked at Tenten, Neji, and Gai. “Are you three willing to make a trip there? If you fear the worst is happening, you can bring two other shinobi with you.”

 

“Yes! We accept!” Gai beamed proudly at his two students. “Now, go inform your friends! Meanwhile, I will ask my eternal rival if he is available!” The two teenagers left the office in a hurry and Gai and Tsunade were wrapping up their conversation.

  
  
“Tsunade.” Gai stared at her with a serious glare. “What if Lee is not in Suna? What will he be labeled as?”

 

“A missing shinobi. Don’t worry, there’s no way I would label someone like him as a rogue ninja.” A wave of relief washed over Gai. He knew there would be nothing to worry about with Tsunade.

 

“Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I will go and find my comrade now! Goodbye!” He sped out of the room and Tsunade resumed filling out paperwork, holding a tiny grin on her face. Shizune walked into the office, her hair blown back into spikes.

 

“What was that just now?” She asked, irked.

 

“Honestly, I have no idea.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It came as a surprise to Lee that Gaara’s residence wasn’t over the top at all. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Had he seen it without prior knowledge that it was where the Kazekage lived, well, he would’ve thought it was anyone’s home. There were only 4 rooms. Gaara’s bedroom was located upstairs, while the living room, kitchen, and bathroom were downstairs. Despite the small space, everything was furnished very neatly. Cacti and succulents lined the window ledges, rich mahogany wood formed nearly every chair and desk, and the floors/carpets were an elegant shade of beige. When Lee tried to compare it to his household, his didn’t hold a candle up against Gaara’s.

 

“Wow, Gaara, your house is very beautiful! I am honored to be living in a place such as this!” He grinned warmly at the Kazekage. “But if there is only one bedroom, where will I rest? I do not mind if it is on the couch!”

 

“You will sleep in my bed. I enjoy sleeping on the couch more, so it doesn’t bother me at all.” 

 

“Ah, well, thank you, Gaara! But are you sure? I would not want to cause any trouble for you.”   
  


“Lee, I’m serious. I almost never sleep in my own bed.” Gaara walked over towards the kitchen, reaching for something. “Are you hungry? I have plenty of food.” He offered over a cup of instant ramen to Lee.

 

“I see that Naruto-kun’s influence has seeped into you! I never thought you would be eating cupped ramen! He laughed and took the styrofoam cup from Gaara’s hand. “I promise I will enjoy this meal! But, I have a question first!”

 

Gaara raised a brow. “What is it?”

 

“How does one prepare instant ramen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! :D


	4. something clever i will add later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto apparently has a wAcky plan and gaara's worried about his b̶f̶ friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF ok sorry for not updating in so long, and sorry the chapter's so short, i've been focused on a lot of other stuff in my life. just wanted to share what i had so far to show that i'm not dead lol (next half of the chapter should be in a few days at most, sorry i'm so slow)

Neji and Tenten ran from place to place, searching for reliable candidates for the trip to Suna. In particular, they had their eyes on two specific shinobi: Shikamaru and Sakura. Both were invaluable assets to a group, with one being the strategist and the other being the medical nin. And lucky for them; nearly all the other shinobi besides the two were unable to participate in the mission. 

 

Except…

 

“What the hell, dattebayo! Let me go too!” Naruto childishly wailed while Sakura sighed. He had just been visiting her home, looking to bring her to Ichiraku Ramen (again), when he walked in on Team Gai explaining the plan to Sakura. 

 

“If the worst happens, we need someone with above average medical ninjutsu to bring us back to working condition. I don’t believe you ever learned how to perform it.” Neji said. Naruto pouted, and stuck out his tongue at him. 

 

“Fine! I’ll just go on a mission with Sai!” He playfully stormed off, while everyone else sighed. Just like with Lee, Naruto also had a far out personality. 

 

But little did they know, he had a plan.

 

Once he was out of view, Naruto covered his mouth with his hand, giggling like a maniac. 

 

_ This is gonna be awesome! _

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Despite Lee’s ability to learn anything taijutsu related almost instantaneously, anything else was fair game for the lagging section in his brain. He was lucky that Gaara had the patience of a saint. It took Gaara nearly an hour to drive Lee through the process of “cooking” instant ramen. Lee insisted on taking notes, drawing out his pocket notebook every three seconds to record an account of Gaara boiling water. It wasn’t like Gaara didn’t expect any outlandish behavior; even in the Chunin Exams when they fought, he knew something was off about his opponent.  

 

“I think I can try by myself now! Thank you Gaara!” He picked up one of the last containers of ramen from the cupboard and set to work, while Gaara watched from a few inches away. There was no way in hell he was going to let a child- _ Lee,  _ run amok in his kitchen unsupervised. That would be the equivalent of letting a child loose in a toy store. Luckily for him, Lee’s notes paid off in the end. Not a single drop of scalding water hit any surface.

 

Yet.

  
  
Lee proudly held up the steamy styrofoam cup, grinning fiercely. He glanced towards the dining table, looking to sit and enjoy his meal. But this was still Lee, after all. “Gaara, would you like to join me? I believe it is time for me to resume my training!” Gaara slowly shuffled over to the table, positioning himself in the chair next to Lee.

 

But he’d come to regret that decision very soon.

 

Once he finally settled down, Lee hopped onto the table. The broth stirred and splashed about, landing a few drops onto Gaara’s bare skin. Thankfully, Gaara’s pain tolerance was immense. He quickly stabilized it with his hands, staring upward at Lee. He was in a one hand handstand, holding chopsticks in his right and keeping balance with his left. Although Gaara was slightly upset that Lee couldn’t show common courtesy, he was reminded of how envious he used to be of Lee’s physical prowess. He caught a slight glimpse of Lee’s smiling face, and his heart skipped a beat.

 

_ Fuck, he’s cute. _

 

Realizing his hands were still held on the cup, Gaara reluctantly let go. But he still had to confront Lee about what the hell he was doing. “This is your training? Does it always involve handstands on dining tables?” He stated with a deadbeat tone. Lee gave a quick thumbs up, and began to dig into his ramen. Gaara simply watched as the noodles disappeared into what could be referred to as a black hole. Once the cup was empty, Lee hopped back into his seat and continued his statement.

 

“Yes, I try to include training in everything I do! Such as on the trip here. I did not rest, so now I am stronger then before!” It was after this statement that Gaara noticed the subtle bags on Lee’s eyes, the fatigue hidden inside his conscience. Yet, he still did not falter one bit. He seemed to be the same upbeat shinobi that everyone constantly saw. But Gaara knew. It was painfully obvious to him.

 

Deep down, Lee wasn’t the happy go lucky shinobi everyone thought of him to be.

 

Or, at least, something plagued the kind hearted man. Ever since Naruto had beaten some sense into Gaara, he realized that he could read people’s emotions like books. He felt Temari and Kankuro’s sadness and desperation to stop him from murdering but ultimately giving up in the end in fear of losing their own lives. He felt Naruto’s pain from being all alone his entire life up until graduating from the academy and forming a cell. The pain from nobody wanting to associate with him at all. He felt it too. Life as a Jinchuuriki was usually difficult, lonely, and full of despair. 

 

To be completely honest, Gaara did not know much about Lee’s past. At most, he knew that he only knew taijutsu, had an overbearing sensei, and he had a crush on the girl, Sakura. Even so, 

  
  
he still felt something deep inside of Lee, longing for its release from its pitiful corner. And he wanted to know what it was, but first, he still had to become closer with him. People do not share secrets so easily with each other, even if they have known them for a while.  

 

Gaara set his elbows on the table and rested his chin onto his enclosed hands. “Even if you get stronger, it still comes with a price. Though I barely get any sleep, I know how valuable it is. Lee, go rest right now. If the Akatsuki do come I’ll warn you right away.” Lee was slightly taken aback at Gaara’s concern for him. Since when did Gaara care about that? 

 

“I promise, it is fine! I am not tired at all. In fact, would you like to spar with me?” Gaara shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had always wanted to work on his taijutsu, but with someone like Lee? He’d get the lights kicked out of him.

 

“I can’t. I still need to organize the troops and get the citizens in full lockdown.” Lee nodded vigorously, his gaze still locked in place on the Kazekage’s eyes. His eyes seemed to sparkle from Gaara’s point of view.

 

“What you do is very admirable! I will only train for a little bit, and then I will come and help you!” His enthusiasm burst whatever “personal space bubble” Gaara still floated unknowingly in. He wanted nothing more than to spar with his friend now, but duties still came first.

 

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for us, Lee. Maybe we can spar later.” Gaara got up from his chair and began towards the door. Lee followed suit, stretching his arms behind his back.

 

“I’ll make it quick, only 100 laps around Kono- er, Suna!” He broke into a sprint out the door and left Gaara in the dust. Now, it was time to make the final preparations for their visitors. He glanced at the empty styrofoam cup left on the table.

 

_ Now I have two problems on my hands. _

 

**again sorry it's so sHort, but thanks for reading this far!!**


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